Rail has long been vital in South Wales. In the 19th Century, the construction of new railways, such as the Western Valley Line from Newport to Blaina helped to open up the Valleys. This allowed the easy transit of materials such as iron and coal to the marketplace, stimulating the creation of industrial centres such as Ebbw Vale during the Industrial Revolution.

The Western Valley and Ebbw branches, which make up the Ebbw Valley line, lost their passenger services in 1962, but remained open to freight traffic servicing the coal and steel industries in the valley. However, as industrial activity has declined so has freight traffic on the line. This has resulted in the steady rationalisation of the route and its infrastructure leaving the Ebbw Valley line we see today.

In recent years, the only freight traffic using the line have been the twice daily steel coil trains operating to and from the Corus Steel works at Ebbw Vale. This freight traffic ceased with the closure of the works in May 2002.

The restoration of passenger services on the line creates an opportunity to increase job prospects and trigger development. There has been a long-term shift in the nature of the industrial and economic base towards the coast. The reintroduction of passenger services will provide opportunities for local people to gain access to these centres.